Flextime arrangements continue to be available year-round to all employees, subject to operational needs and divisional procedures. Supervisors will continue to work to accommodate staff schedule preferences within the guidelines of this procedure, although it is recognized this may not always be feasible for every unit.
University departments and offices are required to maintain full operations Monday through Friday, either in person or virtually. Supervisors are asked to continue to be flexible and innovative when meeting the operational needs of their area while supporting their employees.
Employees working on campus must follow the COVID-19 safety protocols and guidelines outlined on the Protecting the Pack website. They also are encouraged to participate in the summer COVID-19 surveillance testing program and/or be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Flextime Procedures
Hourly and salaried employees may be eligible for flex hours on a year-round basis. Typically, hours may fall within a weekly 52.5-hour time period (7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). Employees and supervisors may work together to develop work schedules compatible with department responsibilities, operational needs and employees’ family needs.
Flextime schedules are subject to supervisory approval and divisional policies, and supervisors are accountable for the maintenance of full-service capacity. As dictated by circumstances, approved flextime schedules may be modified by the supervisor or revert to a regular schedule (normally with a minimum one-week notice) if unforeseen operational needs require staff availability or if circumstances impact the availability of the unit’s staff members.
Examples of typical employee schedules available year-round:
- Five-day work schedule — Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., one-hour lunch (7.5-hour day).
- Four-day work schedule — Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 40-minute lunch (three 9.4-hour days and one 9.3-hour day). Employees may work an alternative Tuesday through Friday four-day schedule subject to staffing requirements for Mondays.
- Four 1/2-day work schedule — Modified work schedule consisting of 37.5 hours per week (not including the lunch break), Monday through Friday, with no less than 1/2 day of work on Friday morning or afternoon.
Guidelines
The following guidelines apply to flextime:
- All offices must remain fully functional on the normal academic year schedule, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The unit administrator is responsible for ensuring office functionality. It is important to note that office functionality does not necessarily imply face-to-face operations.
- Breaks may not be accumulated.
- Lunch breaks of at least 30 minutes are required.
- Hourly employees must arrange 37.5-hour schedules with their supervisor before beginning the flexible schedule.
- Rules on accrual and compensation of overtime are in effect. Even if a flex schedule is approved, overtime accrues only if an hourly employee is asked to work more than 37.5 hours in the workweek. The supervisor is responsible for approving overtime in advance and ensuring proper documentation of hours worked and applicable overtime. If the employee is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, please refer to the agreement for additional rules that may apply.
- During holiday weeks, employee schedules will revert to normal hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., one-hour lunch, 7.5-hour day). For example, for the week of the Independence Day holiday, all full-time employees will receive 7.5 hours pay for the July 4 holiday (observed Monday, July 5, 2021) prorated based on FTE for those employees who are less than full time.
Divisional vice presidents are committed to accommodating flextime schedule requests to the maximum extent possible within the context of operational and service requirements for our campus community. Supervisors of units in which flextime is not possible should consult with divisional leadership before announcing these decisions to staff.
Consistent with normal payroll procedures, employees are required to document time worked and supervisors are responsible for approving. Employees using a flexible schedule should indicate their schedule in the comment section of their timesheets.
Inquiries concerning flextime procedures should be directed to HumanResources@niu.edu or 815-753-6000.
